1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of mops and brooms. More particularly, the present invention relates to adaptors for adapting a mop head and handle to form a mop or a broom head and handle to form a complete broom. In particular, the present invention relates to dustpan apparatuses.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The inventor and applicant of the present invention is also the patentee of U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,596 issued on Jul. 27, 1993 (hereafter "the '596 Patent"). The inventor is aware of the prior art mop holders which were disclosed in the '596 Patent. While the patentee's prior art slidable and threadable quick release locking nut for quick change type mop holders functions adequately, the patentee has continuously sought to further improve mop holders for the consumer industry.
The '596 Patent discloses an improved quick release locking nut for quick change type mop holders. The mop holder has a frame attachable to a mop stick and a clamping member for securing mop fill. The quick release locking nut is slidably mounted on a central shank of the frame, and has a pivotally mounted pawl which is biased by a spring. The pawl has inner screw threads which engage with the outer screw threads on the central shank, in order to lock the quick release locking nut on the central shank for preventing the clamping member from sliding on the central shank. When the pawl is pressed against the spring and therefore is disengaged from the central shank, the quick release locking nut is unlocked and can slide on the central shank for allowing the clamping member to slide on the central shank so that the mop clamp can be released.
There is a need for an adaptor which can quickly fasten a mop head and a mop handle to form a complete mop. It is also desirable to provide an adaptor, where a user can quickly release the mop head from the adaptor by pressing a lever to release without getting his or her hands soiled. The mop head can then be thrown away after use or the mop head can be washed for further use.
Generally, prior art corn brooms are assembled by having broomcorns wound on a handle and attached to the handle by conventional means. Then the entire assembled broom including the handle and broomcorn attached thereon is shipped to retailers. The disadvantage with this is that it is very cumbersome and expensive way of shipping to the retailers. It would be much easier if the broomcorns could be wound on an adaptor and have the broomcorns with the adaptor shipped to the retailers and then have the broom handle connected at the site of the retailers. Another disadvantage with prior art brooms is that the corn broom portion is always used and deteriorates while the handle portion remains intact. Therefore, the handle portion is always discarded with the corn broom portion.
The following nine (9) prior art patents were further found to be pertinent to the field of the alternative present invention:
1. U.S. Pat. No. 3,432,873 issued to Moss on Mar. 18, 1969 for "Mop Construction" (hereafter the"'873 Moss Patent"); PA1 2. U.S. Pat. No. 3,795,934 issued to Moss on Mar. 12, 1974 for "Mop With Open Scrim HeadBand" (hereafter the "'934 Moss Patent"); PA1 3. U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,634 issued to Malish on Feb. 2, 1988 for "Adapter Device For Brooms Or The Like" (hereafter the "Malish Patent"); PA1 4. U.S. Pat. No. 5,366,314 issued to Young on Nov. 22, 1994 for "Connector For Detachably Connecting A Shaft To An Implement" (hereafter the "Young Patent"); PA1 5. U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,286 issued to Harrah on Dec. 27, 1994 for "Quick-Release Connector For Mop Handles And The Like" (hereafter the "Harrah Patent"); PA1 6. U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,777 issued to Nenninger on Jan. 9, 1996 for "Releasable Mop Head" (hereafter the "Nenninger Patent"); PA1 7. U.S. Design Pat. No. 359,605 issued to Janikowski on Jun. 20, 1995 for "Adjustable Mop" (hereafter the "Janikowski Patent"); PA1 8. U.S. Design Pat. No. 375,391 issued to Williams et al. on Nov. 5, 1996 for "Mop Head" (hereafter the "Williams Patent"); and PA1 9. Patent Cooperation Treaty No. WO 93/14687 issued to Jones et al. for "A Connector" (hereafter the "Jones Patent").
The '873 Moss Patent discloses a mop construction. It comprises a mop which has a plurality of absorbent cords secured together to form two sides of the mop. A connecting device is attached to a midsection of the mop.
The '934 Moss Patent discloses a mop with an open scrim headband which allows penetration of teeth of a mop holder into the headband for fastening the mop to a mop handle.
The Malish Patent discloses an adapter device for brooms or the like. The adapter device is detachably connecting a broom to a handle. The adapter device includes a unitary body constructed with a multi-diameter interior defining an internal shoulder portion adapted to abuttingly receive the end of a handle and a multi-step-down exterior terminating in a threaded male end portion adapted to be frictionally coupled into the corresponding female threaded socket in the brush head.
The Young Patent discloses a connector for detachably connecting a shaft to an implement. It comprises two engagable components, a first component for mounting on a handle, and a second component adapted for mounting the head of a floor mop. The first component comprises a cylindrical socket adapted to fit tightly over the end of the handle. A central hollow spigot is coaxial with the socket and is formed with external screw threads. A co-axial circular shroud surrounds the spigot. The second component is mounted on the mop head. It comprises a cylindrical boss formed with an internal socket which is internally screw-threaded. The socket and threads correspond with the threaded spigot so that the spigot can be screwed tightly into the socket to join the two components of the connector together.
The Harrah Patent discloses an quick-release connector for mop handles and the like. The connector comprises a handle portion for attachment to the mop handle and a head portion for attachment to the mop head. The handle portion is a cylindrical member with a circular bore at one end to receive one end of the mop handle and which is permanently affixed thereto. The other end of the cylindrical handle portion has a relatively shallow recess adapted to mate with a corresponding protrusion on the head portion. Within the recess of the handle portion are a plurality of receptacles which mate with corresponding bayonet projections on the head portion. The two outside receptacles each connect or mate with a corresponding indentation in the sidewall of the cylindrical handle portion, when the head portion is connected to the handle portion. The head portion includes three corresponding bayonet projections. When the two portions are connected together, the center bayonet acts as a guide so that the outside bayonets and the mating protrusion and recess are properly oriented to each other. As the two portions are pushed together the outside bayonets are flexed inward until such time as the bayonets are fully received in a respective aperture and an outer surface of each of the outer bayonets aligns with a respective recess in the sidewall of the handle portion.
The Nenninger Patent discloses a releasable mop head for releasably securing absorbent mop material to a handle.
The Jones Patent discloses a connector. It comprises a male portion attached to an end of a pole and a female portion attached to a mop head. The female portion has a boss into which the male portion can be inserted. The interior of the boss has a plurality of tapered ribs which engage in a resilient manner with the male portion. The male portion has ribs which deform channels in the female portion. The deformation of the channels causes the boss to contact.
The Williams Patent discloses a mop head.
The Janikowski Patent discloses an adjustable mop.
It is further desirable to provide a broom apparatus for improving the way conventional corn brooms are assembled and thereafter shipped. It is also desirable to provide a broom apparatus, wherein broomcorns can be wound to a broomcorn adaptor, and thereby be much easier and less expensive to ship the entire assembled broom. The broom handle is then detachably attached to a quick release adaptor which is detachably connected to the broomcorn adaptor at the site of the retailers.
It is still further desirable to provide a dustpan apparatus for improving the way conventional dustpans are assembled and thereafter shipped. The dustpan handle can be detachably attached to a quick release adaptor which is detachably connected to a dustpan adaptor of the dustpan.